Italy
This rare 1st generation Cinelli M71, is the first modern-day clipless pedal. This early version
pedal was made in 1970 and its cleat is made of aluminum. Later versions of M71 pedal cleats were
made of molded plastic for durability. Also, the pedal platform of this original version is made of
chromed steel and looks quite different from the aluminum platforms with a round hole found on later M71 pedals. Designed by Cino Cinelli.

Cinelli M71 (3rd Generation) 1972

Italy
Third
generation Cinelli pedals can be identified by their exposed spring (as shown)
together with the big round hole in the platform.

Contak
Early 1973

Italy
Cleat slides in from the side and is held by a ball detent. Slide
outward to exit.

Cinelli
M71 (4th Generation) 1974

Italy
Manual lock and unlock.
Slide in entry. This fourth and final generation Cinelli M71 pedal is identified by a round
hole in the platform and a spring unit fully enclosed in a housing.

NaturaLimits Quick Release Cleats 1980

USA
These novel "clipless" pedal adapters attached to the bodies of typical quill racing pedals and the cleats would attach to cycling shoes. This retro-fit system was intended as a replacement for toe clips and straps and turned ordinary quill pedals into clipless pedals.

Keywin
1983

New Zealand
Bayonet-type locking device secured the cleat to the pedal. Twist
inward to engage and twist outward to release.

Italy
Slide-in entry. Three manual modes of a attachment using an outboard
lever; You could set the lever to slide out easy, or hard or fully
lock it. Integrated system required adidas shoe.

Avenir
1988

USA
Step down to enter, twist out to release. Had non-recentering free
float.

Foster Pro Cleats
1988

USA
An after-market alloy cleat made as a retro-fit replacement for the plastic cleats made by Look. Came with a "Lifetime" replacement policy.

Sampson-Sakae
Ringyo 1988

Japan
Licensed from Sampson.
Sold new for $89.95

Shimano
PD7401 1988

France
Look-licensed, manufactured in France with bearings and spindles from Japan.

Time
TBT 1988

France
First commercially successful clipless pedal that had float (spring-recentered)
and could not be set to a fixed position.

Lyotard PL 2000 1989

France
This is Lyotard's short-lived design for a clipless pedal. The spring-loaded end cap slides outward to engage and disengage the cleat. Lyotard, a late arrival to the clipless pedal market, was unable made inroads into the clipless pedal market with this design..

Mavic
646 1989

France
A Look licensed design where the body could pivot side to side plus
or minus 5 degrees about the spindle and bearing unit. Free float
by way of two
micro-adjustable cams.

Sampson
Stratics 1989

USA
A second version of the Sampson pedal. Micro adjustable free float.

Gobbi
1990

USA
The Gobbi Pedal has a self guiding plastic cleat with flexible edges
that slide on and grasp the round shaft of the pedal body. Twisting
the foot disengages the
cleat from the pedal.

LLC Power Control System 1990

Germany
Designed for use with a Look cleat, this pedal had a very short spindle to improve cornering clearance.

Primax
1990

Italy
Similar function to Look’s design.

Shimano
1991

Japan
Look-licensed manufactured by Shimano. Offered float or fixed position
by turning a dial on the back of the pedal.

Italy
Required a proprietary mounting pattern. Designed to position the
foot
closer to the spindle.

Shimano
PD7410 1993

Japan
Shimano’s first in-house designed clipless road pedal (SPD).
Miniaturized version of Look’s design using a proprietary
2-hole mounting standard.

Podio
1994

France
A second design by the inventor of the original adidas System 3
clipless pedal. Sold under the Eddy Merckx marque. Slide in to enter
and twist out to release. Required a proprietary shoe mounting pattern.

Power
Pedal 1995

Norway
Pedals rotated in only one direction on the spindle using a clutch.
No backpedaling. This, in theory, created more leverage by adding
the length of the shoe sole to the length of the crank arm during
the upstroke phase of the pedal stroke.

Performance
1995

Taiwan
Similar to Look design but with two rear spring gates instead of
one
and a resin body.